Mechanic&#39;s jack



Sept. 29, 1959 F MECHANICS JACK 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 28, 1957INVENTOR.

Edward d/o/f (2w Jaw;-

Ari-Ms.

Sept. 29, 1959 E. WOLF MECHANIC'S JACK Filed Jan. 28, 1957 2Sheets-Sheet 2 L ///////////////////t M INVENTOR. 522mm! 4101/ BY MWUnited States Patent MECHANICS JACK Edward Wolf, Stockton, Calif.

Application January 28, 1957, Serial No. 636,696 3 Claims. (31. 254-vehicle, and especially the automotive part to be removed;

this being of particular advantage when the device is used as atransmission jack.

An additional object of the invention is' to provide a mechanics jack,of the type described, which includes a pan or platform-401* supportingthe automotive part mounted by means of a novel, power cylinder actuatedlinkage, assembly for movement between a lowered onfloor position and araised above-floor position.

A further object of the invention is to provide a mechanics jack, as inthe preceding paragraph which is constructed in a manner, including anovel frame, which permits the automotive part to be placed on'orremoved fromthe platform without obstruction when said platform is inlowered position.

' A still further object of the invention is to provide a mechanics jackwhichunder manual control-can be raised from lowered position to aselective height abovefloor and then releasably maintained in suchposition.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a mechanics jack whichis designed for ease and economy of manufacture, and safe convenientuse.

.Still another object of the invention is to provide a practical,reliable, and durable mechanics jack, and one which will be exceedinglyeffective for the purpose for which it is designed.

These objects are accomplished by means of such structure and relativearrangement of parts as will fully appearbya perusal of'the followingspecification and claims.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the jack as in use; the platform being inraised or above-floor position.

Fig. 2 is a rear end elevation of the jack, with the platform in araised position, but slightly lower than shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the jack, with the parts in the position shownin Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a longitudinal sectional elevation of the jack taken on line4--4 of Fig. 2, but with the platform in substantially fully loweredposition.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings and to the characters ofreference marked thereon, the jack comprises a horizontal U-shapedframe, indicated genorally at 1; such frame includingin rigidrelationtransversely spaced, longitudinal side beams 2 which project andrear edges of said platform 6.

lc Patented Sept. 29, g

A rectangular pan or platform 6 is of a size, and

disposed, so that it may occupy a positionfor up or downmovement-between the vertical longitudinal planes of the side beams 2;the forward edge of said platform 6 being adjacent the front of theframe 1. The platform 6, which is adapted to support an automotive part,such as a transmission 7, from below, is mounted in connection with thehorizontal U-shaped frame 1 for movement between a lowered,floor-engaging position (see Fig. 4) and a raised, above-floor position(see Fig. l), as follows:

Adjacent but slightly inwardly of each side beam 2 there is alongitudinally extending set of parallel links, each set including anupper link 8 and a lower link 9. At their rear ends the links 8 and 9 ofeach set are pivoted, at at 10 and 11, respectively, to a rigidperpendicular mount 12 on the frame 1 adjacent the corresponding rearcorner.

At their forward ends the links 8 and 9 of each set are 'pivoted, as at13 and 14, respectively, to acorresponding perpendicular attachmentplate 15 which faces laterally inwardly. The platform 6 is formed withintegral upstanding side flanges 16, and the lower portion of eachattachment plate 15 lies closely adjacent the outside of the relatedflange 16 centrally between the front The bolt which forms the pivot 14extends through the adjacent flange 16, providing also a pivot for thelatter; the two pivot bolts 14 being alined transversely of the device.The platform 6, while thus pivotally mounted or suspended, is preventedfrom tilting relative to the at tachment plates 15 by means of acombination stayand adjustment screw 17 which extends diagonally, and inconnection, between one of said plates 15 and a forward lower point onthe corresponding side flange 16.

By adjusting the screw 17 the platform 6 can be set to a true horizontalposition or slightly canted down.- wardly or upwardly at the front, asworking conditions may require.

The upper link 8 of each set of the parallel links is fittedintermediateits ends, and in right-angle rela- 'tionshipwith an upstanding lever arm18 stabilized by a gusset plate 19. A fluid pressure actuated powercylinder 20, preferably of hydraulic type, is disposed in longitudinalrelation above each side beam 2, and each such cylinder is pivoted atits forward closed end, as at 21, to the which projectsfrorn the upperendof the cylinder is piv;

otally connected, as at 23, to the upper end of the corresponding leverarm 18.

When the power cylinders 20 are contracted, the sets of parallel links 8and 9 occupy a down-position, with the platform 6 in floor engagement(see Fig. 4). Upon simultaneous energization of the power cylinders 20the piston rods 22 thrust rearwardly, and the force thus applied to thelever arms 18 is transmitted-much in the manner of a bellcrankto thecorresponding set of parallel links 8 and 9, causing the same to swingupwardly and rearwardly. This raises the platform 6 from the loweredposition, as in Fig. 4, to a selected raised position, asfor example-inFig. 1.

As the power cylinders 20 are of single-acting type, and as they arearranged to be held in any extended position, in the manner ashereinafter described, the platform 6 can likewise be safely andeffectively held in an automotive part supporting position a selectivedistance abovefloor. The control of the power cylinders 20 isaccomplished in the following manner:

A manual, hydraulic pump 24 is mounted on the rear end portion of one ofthe side beams 2, and such pump includes an actuating hand lever 25.With actuation of the hand lever 25 the pump 24 is caused to feed oilthrough conduits 26 and 27 to said power cylinders 20; there being aquantity of such oil, as shown at 28, contained in a reservoir chamber29 formed in the side beam 2 on which the pump 24 is mounted, and whichpump includes a pick-up tube 30 which depends into said reservoirchamber 29.

A valve 31 is interposed between the pump 24 and the conduits 26 and 27;the valve in one position permitting the pump to force oil from thereservoir chamber 28 through said conduits to the power cylinders 20,but in another position bleeding the oil back from said cylindersthrough such conduits and into the reservoir chamber 29 through adischarge tube 32. Thus, by the simple expedient of manipulating thehand lever 25, or operating the valve 31, the jack can be caused toraise the platform 6, or to lower it, respectively.

With the described mechanics jack it can-when in its lowered, low-levelposition-be readily run beneath a motor vehicle and the platform 6 thenraised to the necessary height to receive a transmission 7 or the likeas detached from such vehicle; the platform 6 then being partiallylowered and withdrawn, with the transmission thereon, out from beneaththe vehicle. Thereafter, the platform is fully loweredi.e. into floorengagement-so that the transmission can be readily slid off onto thefloor for subsequent handling. To return and replace the transmission,or other automotive part, the above described operation is merelyrepeated, but in reverse. All of this is accomplished with the utmostconvenience, and with safety.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that there hasbeen produced such a device as will substantially fulfill the objects ofthe invention, as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferredconstruction of the device, still in practice such deviations from suchdetail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit ofthe invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, the following is claimed as new anduseful, and upon which Letters Patent are desired:

1. A mechanics jack comprising a U-shaped low-level frame supported formovement along a floor and comprising side beams and a cross beamconnecting the side beams at their rear end, a platform of a width tofit between the side beams, a pair of vertically spaced parallel linkson each side of the platform located in a vertical plane between suchside of the platform and the adjacent side beam, power means mounted onthe frame to the side of the platform and operatively connected to thelinks to actuate the same, means pivotally mounting the links at theirrear end on the frame adjacent the rear end thereof, means pivoting thelinks at their forward end in supporting connection with and above theplatform at said side thereof; the power means being arranged so thatthe platform can be lowered to the floor, and means included in partwith the link pivoting means for adjusting the platform lengthwiserelative to a horizontal plane and so that the platform remains in suchadjusted position with any setting of the links.

2. A mechanics jack comprising a U-shaped low-level frame supported formovement along a floor and comprising side beams and a cross beamconnecting the side beams at their rear end, a platform of a width tofit between the side beams, a pair of vertically spaced parallel linkson each side of the platform located in a vertical plane between suchside of the platform and the adjacent side beam, power means mounted onthe frame to the side of the platform and operatively connected to thelinks to actuate the same, means pivotally mounting the links at theirrear end on the frame adjacent the rear end thereof, a flange upstandingfrom said side of the platform, an attachment plate upstanding from andoverlying the fiange on the outside, a pivotal connection between theforward end of the upper link and the attachment plate, a pivotalconnection between the forward end of the lower link, the attachmentplate and the flange, and a longitudinally adjustable member extendingdiagonally between and connected to the attachment plate and the flange.

3. A mechanics jack comprising a U-shaped low-level frame supported formovement along a floor and comprising side beams and a cross beamconnecting the side beams at their rear end, a platform of a width tofit between the side beams, a pair of vertically spaced parallel linkson each side of the platform, each pair being located in a commonvertical plane between such side of the platform and the adjacent sidebeam, means pivotally mounting the links at their rear ends on the frameadjacent the rear end thereof, means pivoting the links at their forwardends in supporting connection with the platform at said side thereof, anarm rigid with and upstanding from at least one of the upper linksintermediate its ends, a gusset plate extending along and secured to aportion of the upper edge of at least one of the upper links andengaging the arm, and a power cylinder pivotally connected at one end tothe upper end of at least one of the arms outwardly thereof and at theother end on the adjacent side beam adjacent the forward end thereof.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,819,378 Nilson Aug. 18, 1931 2,495,143 Simmonds Jan. 17, 19502,495,144 Simmonds Jan. 17, 1950 2,512,150 Geren June 20, 1950 2,583,114Monteith Ian. 22, 1952 2,583,216 Hoffman Jan. 22, 1952 2,785,807Prowinsky Mar. 19, 19. 7

